Sleepless in Singapore: Kiasu

Kiasu is Singlish for someone who is being keen. It can also be the act of being "extra hard-working" or keen. In as sentence, it can be something like "If you're Kiasu, you would read the material for the course during the summed and come prepared". Singaporeans are known for their Kiasu. Every task is performed extraordinarily with several extra features and surprises. They try to go that extra mile to really reflect their hardworking nature. I knew Asians were hardworking in general (And by Asian, I mean the oriental (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc)) because I've experienced their 'Kiasu' at UofT. Now, as I am living in the land of Kiasu, it is only more apparent. I suppose the reason for all this Kiasu is mainly due to the competition that people face here. Everyone wants to succeed and be the best they can be. They are willing to give up everything they have (i.e. their true passions, desires, etc) to pursue this stereotypical success in which everyone is an engineer or a doctor.

I think it is driven mainly from the culture which forces them to become something more than what they are. Asia was always a developing continent. The only difference in the current world is that the Asians have seen what they could potentially have. Through globalization, they've had a taste of life in a developed country and they want more. Another difference is that they now have more opportunities to become something more due to globalization and things like outsourcing and offshoring. So they have this incredible drive to surpass North America and if the west doesn't realize this soon enough, they would definitely go beyond North America's reach. Unfortunately, North America would never realize this because they have no reason to. They are living a great life in all their 'developedness' and are too engrossed in their own problems. I personally don't understand why there are soo many psychologically stressed people in North America. Their family life and relationships in general are fairly stressful and people are very confused about their life. The focus on individuality has been taken to extremes and it will become North America's downfall..

Back to Asia: It seems that everyone that I talk to is an engineer. This is the same case in India. ALL of my friends from middle school are in engineering and they hope to get into Computers or something technology related when they graduate. This is rightfully so because technology is a very lucrative market and thats what everyone strives for. That is what "success" is to Asians and they can do anything to attain it.

I think it was Thomas Friedman who said this following quote: "When I was a little boy, my mother used to tell me to finish my dinner because people in India and China are starving.. but today, I tell you this.. Finish all your homework because people in India and China are starving.. for your jobs!" If you tell someone in North America that youre an engineer, that person is viewed as somewhat of an intellectual and academically above average. In general, the view towards an engineer is completely different in North America and people are impressed by them (I hope). They are a new breed of people and this is the reason for all the engineer pride and weird activities in Universities for engineers.. (I am referring to making fun of artsies, catchy engineer songs, ERTW, dying yourself purple, getting an iron ring upon graduation, etc).. In Asia however, an Engineer is somewhat of a norm. Almost every second person you talk to is an engineer. If you're not an engineer, you are regarded as someone who is below average.. which is very interesting when compared to their status in North America.

So what will the future look like. In as short as 5 years (or perhaps even now), there are 10 engineers in Asia for every engineer in North America. It is the Engineer who designs, innovates, creates useful products for society and in general, makes life simpler. So does this mean that Asia will become the land of innovation and design? Clearly, it is already a land of extremely smart and analytical people when compared to North America (based on the assumption that engineers are smart and analytical, which is a fair assumption..). So I suppose North America is on the verge of its downfall. The North American kids are just too preoccupied with their self-inflicted problems. Compared to the Asians, they are not at all focused in anything and most are clueless about life. Surely, I am not as focused as the Asians either and it is something to consider.

However, the life of an Asian also has several flaws, in my opinion. Many of them give up their passions and real aspirations to pursue something that is seen as success in the society. Many people here love art. Nearly everyone in my hall plays the guitar and sing. They are phenomenal artists and they are incredibly athletic. However, these things are seen as mere extracurriculars and anyone who pursues these fields seriously are seen as potential failures. Off course there are exceptions where the true artsies defy all stereotypical values and pursue what they are truly passionate about, but it is not the case for most Asians.

They are always studying or doing something that is of a matter of consequence. This has rendered them somewhat emotionless and with a very low sense of humour. Many of them are unable to express themselves emotionally and are unable to interact socially. They lack in communication skills and tend to be alone and very work driven. In my opinion, even if this means success in the stereotypical world, it is not a good way to live because life is so much more than studies, academics and getting a well paying job. So in conclusion, I would say Kiasu is good until a point where you need to draw the line and apply the Kiasu to becoming a more well rounded individual. More than becoming something, it must be applied to actually living life instead of pursuing it.